Villain on the express train!
As an attempt to reduce the amount of bags in my plastic holder, I watched this tutorial from Make Magazine, and decided to try making my own version of Tyvec. During my first attempt at sewing the plastic fabric I broke the needle on my sewing machine, which prompted the the question of how to “weld” the seams of the fabric together to make a waterproof bag.
These are my first attempts and resemble envelopes or coin purses. They are perfect for keeping small electronics safe from water in any bag, or for mailing letters! In the future I will enlarge and elongate this envelope pattern to construct a waterproof baguette holder—a necessity to transport bread on the wettest days!
I recently purchased A Handbook of the Heavens and reading it has revived my interest in the northern lights. NASA scientists predict that the 2012 Aurora Borealis will be the most spectacular light storm since 1958 and will be visible as far south as Rome. It is likely that we may catch glimpses of the auroras in New York!
In anticipation of the stars’ dance this winter, I’m watching this video by Terje Sorgjerd and others like it!
A great documentary about tradition and heritage preserved through a fabric’s production, and it’s dormant and re-awakened periods in apparel trends.
These were some ill-fitting Brooks Brothers pants, part of a suit I found at Housing Works last January. The suit was $20 and the jacket fit great, so I set the pants aside as a future project.
Today the future arrived. It would be an internet crime to post the before picture, but this is a photo of the initial alterations I made: I brought in the outer seams by an inch and tapered the pant leg (originally, they were wide and straight). I left some room in the hip which I think gives a playful, yet put-together appearance to the cut.
I also took in the waist by an inch, and fussed with the rear seam to tighten up the behind. So far, the fit is good. The next phase will be to trim the remaining fabric and decide on a nice finish for the edges of the seam.
My 2012 resolution will be to acquire fewer plastic bags. In the meantime I had to find a solution to storing the bags we currently have—and use!
This plastic sack-holder is a project my mom has made plenty times in an attempt to keep her own plastic mountains—and those of her friends—under control. The fabric used is the leftover of my newly-hemmed curtains. Gossamer-thin, I think it tastefully showcases the array of colorful plastic bags inside. Elastic was sewn around the bottom of the sack to provide a nice opening from which to grab a plastic in a pinch!
A new window treatment! Front panel: silk chambray, lined with re-purposed sheer curtain panel from 241 Clifton; Back panel: Ikea, hemmed to fit. Sadly, this window treatment blocks my view of the Empire State Building and the Chrysler Building, so the next phase of this project will be to add curtain drawbacks!
Most cooking enthusiasts will recommend a wall-hung, magnetic strip for knife storage. Among the enthusiasts, however, is a minority who live in fear of flying knives, and gore opportunists who may intrude or be invited into the home. My roommate happens to be of this minority, My roommate and I recently moved into a new apartment and we have yet to decide whether or not we want to drill into freshly-painted, rented walls.
For ages we’ve prepared glorious dinners using dull steak and butter knives, but over the summer I received two “real knives” from my boyfriend, and my summer roommate, and I could not bear the thought incurring a rather expensive blade-sharpening bill by shoving them into our utility drawer to rub elbows with their dull counterparts. After having little luck finding well-considered blade protection in my favorite cooking supply shops, and taking a quick trip to the Garment District, I was able to fashion felt-lined knife sleeves (with re-purposed bird fabric for my knives, and leftover Dopp Kit fabric for Patrick’s knives). They provide ample protection for drawer storage, and peace-of-mind for renters the magnet-fearing folk.
My boyfriend has a specific and traditional shaving routine which involves buttery soaps, spiced gels and sharp, safety blades—all for which he did not have a proper carrying case. This dopp kit was a Valentine’s Day present and is made of water-resistant and waterproof, vintage Versace raincoat fabrics that I purchased from Paron Fabrics specifically for this project.
Patrick’s pocket square from my re-purposed madras shirt
This silk, triangular scarf (featuring Scottie dogs) is two years in the making. I purchased this fabric in fall, 2009, with a dear friend on the promise I would construct two matching scarves for us. In summer, 2011, I finished the project.
In 2009 I had the opportunity to teach as a guest artist for The Bookworm in Beijing and ChengDu. I designed a bookbinding workshop that was featured on SCTV News and attended by people ages 2-28. In Beijing, The Bookworm asked me to create a workshop for children, which they hosted in their HouTong annex. The children constructed sewn and non-sewn books which they took home to fill with stories and pictures of China and beyond.
nightgown for personal use
